The 2 Songs Paul McCartney Wishes He Wrote

Very rarely does a member of The Beatles look back in retrospect and say “I wish.” However, rarely doesn’t mean never. That being so, Paul McCartney, one of the greatest songwriters of all time, has actually voiced his humility and acknowledged what songs simply dumbfound him as a writer. Matter of fact, he’s gone so far as to say that he wished he had written numerous songs.

Well, for the musicians in question, McCartney’s envy has to be better than any awards or accolades they’ve ever won. The two musicians in question are Ray Davies of The Kinks and Sting. Frankly, for these Brits, this is seemingly a higher honor than being knighted by the Royal Family. Nevertheless, the two songs of theirs McCartney wishes he had written were Davies’ “See My Friends” and Sting’s “Fields of Gold.”

McCartney’s Praises Davies and The Kinks

The Kinks and The Beatles came from the same era, taste, and country. Thus, the two certainly had some musical and cultural parallels in their earlier years. That being so, when The Kinks released “See My Friends” in 1965, McCartney was completely taken aback and jealous by the sound they achieved. Particularly, the trailblazing creation of raga rock.

Frankly, you might have The Kinks to thank for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour. Though, you devout Beatles fans probably don’t want to hear such a take. Well, McCartney, in a way attested to that fact. In Kink: An Autobiography, Davies recalls Paul McCartney, stating, “You b—! How dare you! I should have made that record.”

Sting’s Receives A Stamp of Approval

McCartney’s praise for his fellow Brits does not stop with his ’60s contemporary, as he also praised Sting and his solo career. During a Q&A session at The Liverpool Institute in 2018, McCartney stated, “I liked Sting’s ‘Fields Of Gold’” and “I thought, ‘Y’know what, I should have written that.’” “How dare he?’ I told him: ‘You stole my song.’ I thought that was a nice one, y’know,” Paul McCartney Humorusly added.

Sting replied to the generous comment by writing on social media, “Paul McCartney says he wishes he would have written ‘Fields Of Gold.’ There are more than a few of Paul’s that I wish I would have written” and “To hear this from someone I owe my life to is very special. Thank you, Paul.”

In short, it’s incredibly endearing to see a figure as decorated as Paul McCartney subvert his pride and admit that someone did just as good a job as he did. Just another instance of the mythical man making himself mortal.

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